A fire that ripped through a south London market is believed to have been started by a fridge with an electrical fault. The blaze erupted in Kingston-upon-Thames town centre at around 4.30am on Tuesday morning.
Eight people were evacuated from properties, and a range of stalls in the 800-year-old square were completely destroyed by the fire.
Investigation and cause
London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said that the suspected faulty appliance "requires further verification" by an electrical testing firm. It has not said where the fridge was located.
The fire has already been ruled as “accidental” by the LFB, and a Metropolitan Police investigation found no suspicious circumstances.
Witness accounts and impact
Colin, Salon Partner at Toni & Guy Kingston, lives above the salon on Market Place, and told The Standard that he was woken by the blaze in the early hours. He said: “We were woken up by the heat and the sound of the fire. We could just see an orange glow around the curtains”.
On Thursday, Kingston Council said that work is under way to make the damaged buildings safe, and that clean-up efforts will begin once the site is declared safe. According to their website, the council is working with market operator Between the Bridges to “look at all options to support traders impacted by the fire, as well as continuing to support all traders and businesses in the area".
Lush, Greggs, Hotter and a bureau de change are among the shops that have been impacted by the fire. Some stalls and shops on the square that escaped damage have already resumed trading.
Council response and future plans
Leader of the council, Andreas Kirsch said: "We're working as hard as we can to get the site safe and secure, and to support traders to get back to work as soon as possible. Our priority now is to continue to support those affected and help ensure our much-loved market recovers as soon as possible."
In January, Between the Bridges submitted plans to Kingston Council for a major revamp of the market, including replacement stalls, a central piazza, restaurant, bar, and roof terrace. A decision on the proposals is yet to be made.
